That Time I Got Reincarnated Into the World of Pokemon!
by SpaceRyder69
Summary: A unfortunate soul is given the opportunity of a life time! After an untimely demise, this young man is sent to the world of Pokemon! But things don't exactly go as planned. This is why you always do the paperwork yourself... / Terrible isekai, with equally terrible humor! You have been warned :D
1. Arceus, Worst God Ever

When I opened my eyes finally, I felt like I must still be dreaming. My head was foggy, and I had trouble concentrating.

"Ugh... Where am I?"

The world around me was a void, shifting colors as I floated in empty space.

"Ah good, you're finally awake."

"Who said that!?" Head whipping around left and right, but I saw no one. "Where am I? What's going on?"

"To put it bluntly, you're dead."

"WHAT!?"

"Calm yourself, human," His powerful voice commanded. A light appearing before me, "Yes, you took a nasty fall on your way off Campus... And passed away some time later in the ER."

I felt my heart sink, some details coming back to my foggy mind. "I... I remember the fall." It was winter, some of the stone steps outside were still covered in ice. All it took was one misplaced foot. "Oh man..." Of course, maybe I was still dreaming in the ER, and this was all just-

"I can assure you this is no dream." Did he just read my mind? "Yes, I did indeed read your mind." Awesome, totally _not_ creepy.

"So I died, but why am I here?" I questioned, looking away from the light to my surroundings. "Is this like... Purgatory? Limbo? Am I on my way to heaven?"

"Well, you could be... But, after reviewing your life during the judgement process, you were handed off to me to give you another option." The light in front of me suddenly took shape. It was one I immediately recognized, one that made me absolutely sure I was dreaming.

"ARCEUS?!" The "God" of pokemon or whatever? There was no way this was really happening. But he looked so real, not like a 3D model or 2D sprite! "H-Hold on, what? Why are you- But, pokemon aren't- I am so confused!"

"As you should be!" Why did he sound so enthusiastic about that part? "During review, the... Watchers of the Metaverse decided perhaps that you deserved a second chance."

Metaverse? Wait, hold on. "Second chance?" I repeated, gripping that strand of hope. "You mean I get to come back to life? I can live again?"

"Well, not in your old life no... However," Lights around me flashed and I saw images of beautiful landscapes and other Pokemon appearing all around me. "I am offering to revive you, in the world of Pokemon!"

My heart skipped a beat, my eyes no doubt lighting up. "The world of... Pokemon..." It was like every dream I had as a child and a teenager come true. The same dream every person that played a pokemon game had probably. I'd get to be a pokemon trainer! I could put all my years of useless pokemon knowledge to use! I could probably meet a bunch of cute girls too! "That sounds AMAZING!" I didn't care if this wasn't real, I would ride out this dream until I woke up!

"Then you are on board? Excellent," Arceus released a low, rumbling chuckle that shook the void. The images around us disappeared, "I will get you on your way shortly, but there are some questions I must ask you first."

"Uh, okay, sure?" A small wait, but whatever. I could be patient.

"Very well, let us begin." He nodded, "First, do you want to be taller some day?"

Okay, so maybe this was the part of the dream where everything took a super weird turn. "Uh, yeah I guess."

"Alright, the people at a table near you are singing Happy Birthday very loudly, what do you do?"

"Probably walk away and find a quieter table..."

"Do you prefer to be busy or have a lot of free time?"

Well I am- _was_ a college student that's future depended on working hard so... "Being busy."

"Do you like Karaoke?"

"Y... Yes..." The guiltiest of pleasures.

"Do you think its important to aim to be the best?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"Hmm, interesting... Final question, are you a boy or a girl?"

Was... Was it hard to tell? "I'm a boy of course, are you blind?"

"I just didn't want to assume, anyways, wait right here while I take care of the paperwork!"

He disappeared in a flash of light, "Paper work?" I muttered, looking around at the colorful void. "He told me to wait around... But its not like I can go anywhere."

Being left in silence, while Arceus did his... Paperwork, I had a chance to reflect on things. My death, for the most part. I mean, I was in college, twenty-one years old and not really going anywhere. I had plans to be an engineer but... My grades weren't exactly great. I was barely scraping by, and while all my free time revolved around Pokemon, my "friends" were partying. So really the only people I'd left behind were my parents, but they hadn't really talked to me much since I moved out. I guess my life wasn't really that great, looking back on it. Sadly, Pokemon was the most enjoyable thing I had...

I really hope this is all real.

"I RETURN!"

"AAAAAGH!"

His arrival in an explosion of light nearly gave me a heart attack. And I was sent tumbling back through the void a few feet. "I am sorry did I startle you?"

"Yeah just a little," I grumbled in annoyance, trying to recompose myself. "You don't actually talk to people much do you?"

"Not really no!" He answered in the same confident, booming voice. "But I have finished the paperwork, now lets get you ready for your new life!"

"Alright cool," My grin returned in an instant. "So do I get to like choose my region or my starter or-" A beam of light crashed down on me from above. Enveloping my body and blinding me. "AAAAGH!"

When it finally stopped, my entire body was sore. I groaned, opening my eyes and rubbing my head. "It is done, I will send you to your new life once you are ready."

Hang on, why was he so much taller now? My vision became less blurry, and I looked down at my ha-

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HANDS!?" They weren't even hands anymore! I was looking at two fuzzy blue paws! My eyes shifted to the rest of my body, and I immediately began to realize what happened. "You turned me into a pokemon!?"

"Yes," Arceus replied casually, "Riolu, to be specific."

"But why!?" I demanded, adjusting myself properly to glare at him.

"Because you are going to the world of Pokemon, why wouldn't I make you a pokemon? I even chose one that's awfully rare in the place you're going." He scoffed in response, "What do you think all those questions were for?"

He couldn't be serious. "I thought you were going to make me a trainer! Ya know, like in ALL OF THOSE GAMES I SUNK THOUSANDS OF HOURS INTO!?"

"You get to be a pokemon in Mystery Dungeon."

"I NEVER GOT INTO THE MYSTERY DUNGEON GAMES!" I exploded.

"Hmm... Well you should have been more specific."

"I thought you were READING MY MIND!"

"I was, until you thought that it was creepy."

Oh my god. "Okay, whatever, its fine, just change me back to a human and we can redo this, right?"

"..."

My eye twitched, "_Riiiiiight_, Arceus? You can fix this?"

"See, the thing is, I already did the paper work... And that took like, a whole hour."

"This is no time to be lazy!"

"Okay okay, how about a compromise," He offered, probably because I was basically foaming at the mouth at this point. "The rules say I can't make you over powered, so you have to start over as a first form pokemon... But, I could give you a second passive ability, how does that sound?"

I feel like we were ignoring the real issue here. "Fine, give me Wonder-"

"No Wonder Guard, that's too OP."

"Ugh, lame..." I grumbled, crossing my arms in thought. "Hmm... Maybe something that increases my attack, like Huge Power or Pure Power... Or Flashfire, then I can't even get hit by fire moves right? No... Give me Sturdy."

To which Arceus nodded, "Very well," A ball of light launched from his nose and pushed into my chest. Giving me a small rush of energy. "Now, go and do your best, I send you to a world where adventures are abound and people are always in need of an honest helping hand, good luck!"

Lights were beginning to form around me. I felt all tingly, "W-Wait! Hang on I need more information! Don't I get like, starter items or something!?"

"Nnnope! Bye!"

And before I could say more, everything went black.

* * *

**Hi! If you decided to stick around to the end, I commend you! And I hope I have your attention! If not, I appreciate you just taking the time to look, and I hope you have a lovely day!**

**So, this idea for a story has been bugging me for awhile. For 2 reasons, one being that I've always wanted to write a Mystery Dungeon story. And 2, I HATE isekai :D and always wanted to make a silly parody that is less pervy than KonoSuba lol **

**And that has culminated in this likely dumpster fire. But if you want to see more or have ideas you'd like to see, please let me know! I love talking to readers :D**


	2. It's A Whole New World I Live In

**Thank you everyone so much for the nuclear response! Wasn't expecting such a big reply so quickly! You've done a great job in making me nervous going forward XD I always try my best to respond to questions and reviews, if I miss anyone I'm sorry!  
**

**KuramaTPZ: Yay! Glad you like it XD**

**Warhammer4Life: Noted and handled! Thanks for the heads up :D**

**kfawecett1998: I'm glad you're interested! And thanks for reading both stories lol hopefully I can live up to your expectations in both of them XD**

**KnightLawn: Thank you!**

**Coduss: Maybe to say that I "hate" them isn't the right way to put it. I think the Idea of Isekai is cool, but they carry a lot of really... Boring themes, though some newer ones have been drifting away from those. The ones that tend to always bother me are "MC gets to be super OP with no work" "A bunch of cute/hot girls will fall madly in love with MC because plot" (Also known as "Harem syndrome") and "Bad guy who is OTHER person that also reincarnated into this world but is bad". There have been a lot of good exceptions to these lately that I appreciate, Slime anime was pretty fun, KonoSuba is hilarious, and Shield Hero is just alright lol But a few years of isekai trash flooding the market has given me a bad taste. But to each their own of course! No judging :D**

**Anyways, now that I've talked your ears off, on with the story!**

* * *

I was a bit dazed when I woke up again. But pleasantly surprised to find myself sitting up not in my bed, but in a patch of grass alongside a dirt road. Looking down at my body- yep, still a pokemon. I guess this wasn't just some dream... Or, it was a really really authentic one.

Rising to my feet, I took a moment to adjust and gather my bearings. My body felt weird, and standing was a little awkward at first. But strangely enough, after a few seconds of standing on my own two feet it started to feel natural. I was really well balanced, did that have something to do with my tail? Oh yeah, I would have to get used to having a tail now... I really hope it doesn't wag when I get happy like a real dog.

The landscape around me was a mixture of field and forest, thought it was kinda hard to see with the sun setting. I was on a hill, the road leading north continued to ascend into some mountains. I could make out the faint appearance and scent of smoke, maybe there was a town up there? A pokemon town? Weird... To the south, beyond the forest I could see a distant shoreline. And to the east and west was just more land.

"The air is so clean here..." Maybe I just had a heightened sense of smell now or something. But this was nothing like the city air I'd been living in. Taking a deep breath felt really good. I guess if this world has no humans that means no pollution, probably?

My ears twitched at the sound of a splash. My head followed it, moving on instinct as I faced the direction across the road. "Huh... Maybe someones over there." Crossing the dirt path, I made my way towards the tree line. My movements were becoming more steady, all these extra senses were starting to feel more natural, more manageable.

I could hear the splashing more clearly, as I pushed through the underbrush. Finally breaking through into another clearing, dim sunlight reflecting off a darkening pond. The surface disturbed by a few bodies.

"I said stop! You're gonna get it wet!" My eyes darted to the sound, spotting a Charmander on the far shore covering his tail from the splashes caused by others in the water.

In the water, two more pokemon sat. A Poliwhirl, "Don't be such a baby! We're just playing!" Definitely a dude.

"Yeah!" The other, a Croagunk. Definitely male by the sound of his voice as well. His words followed by a chitter of laughter, "Come on in and swim, Off Color!"

Off color, what? Looking back at the Charmander, I realized that he _was_ a little off. His skin should have been orange, but instead was a lighter shade, almost yellow. He was a Shiny pokemon! "Uh, hey!" I called out as I approached, waving awkwardly as all eyes turned to me.

"What the heck is that?" Poliwhirl questioned, as both he and his comrade swam towards the shore near me. Charmander remained at a distance, watching.

"Oh, oh I know," Croagunk bounced excitedly upon stepping out of the water. "I've seen one of these before, it's a Rilolu!"

Well, he was close. "Uh, Riolu, actually." I corrected, "I take it there aren't... Many other Riolu around here?" I guess Arceus did say he made me a Rare pokemon.

"Nah I'm pretty sure it's Rilolu." Croagunk snickered, chittering in amusement. "Yeah we don't get many of your kind around here."

"Did you just get here?" Charmander asked as he finally joined. He still seemed a little disheveled, were these two bullying him before? The fire pokemon was certainly keeping a comfortable distance from them.

"Yeah, actually," A few minutes ago in fact. "I came from the..." Why did I say that, quick! Change the subject! "Ahem, yeah so... What is there around here? I was kinda looking somewhere I could stay but-"

"You should try Iron Town!" Poliwhirl exclaimed suddenly, throwing his arms up. "Just up the mountain!"

"BUT!" Croagunk nudged him in the ribs, "You gotta pay a fee for entering, if you just uh... Slip us some coin, we'll make sure you get in."

Was he serious? "Rrrriiiiight..." I'm sure the look on my face told him how much I believed that statement. "Well too bad for 'Iron Town', I don't have any money." Why did these pokemon use money!?

The frogs face lost all amusement, "Ugh, great, so another squatter... Well good luck, come on Whirly." He grumbled, pushing past me. "Have fun out here newbie! You can sleep with the Off Color!"

His big friend followed right behind him, and they passed through the brush leading back to the road. Leaving me alone with this uh... Off Color? "H-Hi there." He greeted with a nervous smile, "It might sound like a scam, but well... You probably_ will_ get turned away from Iron Town without any money, sorry."

Well that was great. "Awesome," I sighed, rubbing my head. "I guess that means I need to find somewhere to sleep." It was getting dark out after all, and I don't think I have any way of making a fire. Suppose I could find a few sticks to rub together though.

"You could... Come to my camp if you want." Charmander offered, shifting nervously, "Its not much, but I've got a fire to keep us warm..."

He's kinda timid huh? "Thanks, I'd appreciate that a lot." I might as well be nice, this kid could probably use another friend and I needed some of those too.

"R-Really?" His face perked up a bit, smiling back at me. "Cool! J-Just follow me!" He turned on his heels, begin to walk off quickly towards the opposing tree line. "My name's Char by the way!"

First Whirly, and now Char, were these pokemon using nicknames? I guess that makes sense, there are probably hundreds or thousands of Charmanders in this world. "Nice to meet you, I'm-" Wait, crap! What do I use as a nickname!? "L-Lucas!" Okay, sure, my real name, that works I guess.

"Lucas?" Char looked back at me and quirked an eyebrow, "That's a weird name for a Riolu."

He's on to me!

"W-Well, I'm a Riolu now... But uh, some day I'll be a Lucario," Ha! See through this ruse lizard boy! "So it'll fit better then."

"Ooooh okay, that makes sense." And he accepted that at fell value, even while I'm over here sweating bullets. This kid sure is gullible. "Right through here."

Pushing aside some of the underbrush, careful to make sure his tail didn't hit anything flammable, Char opened the way into a small grove. A pile of leaves, a small bag and a fire pit filled the center of the space. We were at the foot of a large hill, one that probably looked out over the land. Not that there was much to see with how dark it was getting I suppose.

Char walked right over to the smouldering fire pit and threw on some more sticks before spitting a little fire to set it ablaze. "We'll have to collect more wood tomorrow." He noted, "Do you wanna use the bed? I can sleep on the ground." He offered with a friendly smile.

"No that's okay, really." Waving my hands defensively, I should probably not take advantage of the first person I meet. "I can sleep on the ground." This was going to suck, wasn't it? Whelp, no going back now. I took a seat beside the warm fire and released a small sigh.

"Okay, if you say so." Char plopped down on the opposite side of the fire. Avoiding making eye contact with me, but I kept catching him eyeing me over. "So... You're not from around here? That's cool, I've never been very far from these fields."

"I mean... This place seems nice," I offered with a small smile. Trying my best to make conversation without saying too much about exactly... _Where _I came from. "So, we really can't get into Iron Town without money?"

"Well... Sort of," Char scratched the back of his round head nervously. "Its not that you need money to get in, its just that they won't let in people that don't have something offer the town." He explained, "I guess Iron Town isn't doing so good, and they can't handle anyone that isn't going to contribute in some way, and money is the easiest way."

Thanks Arceus, you couldn't drop me next to like "pokemon Utopia". No, instead I'm stuck with Iron Town going bankrupt. "Hmm... Guess I'll have to work on that." Alright, objective one, acquire money. "Oh, by the way," I leaned back a bit, quirking an eyebrow. "Why were those guys calling you off color?"

His small disappeared pretty quick. "O-Oh, that... Well, its because I'm not natural colored like other Charmanders." So there really wasn't anything else to it? "I'm sure you noticed."

"I did, but-" How do I say this without revealing anything or sounding weird? "Where I come from, we call those types of Pokemon 'Shiny', and they are considered really rare and cool."

Char blinked in surprise at that, "R... Really?"

"Oh yeah," Incoming confidence boost, I'm such a good friend. "I mean especially you! You are just gonna be yellow for now, but once you become a Charizard, you be black with red wings and you're gonna look awesome!"

"Whoa..." He breathed out, eyes glimmering as he looked back at me in awe. Before they drifted down to his hands, "Oh man, that sounds so amazing... I can't wait! Thanks so much for telling me that!"

Mission accomplished, "Yep, no problem." I leaned back on the grass, hands behind my head as I enjoyed the warmth of the fire.

Well hopefully with all this meta knowledge I have, things here won't be much of a problem. But the first evening went pretty alright, I'm sure tomorrow will be easy too at this rate. Of course, I'll have to figure out what I'm gonna do for money, I'm sure Char will have something in mind. He seems to know a lot about this area.

For now though, this surprisingly soft grass and warm fire were putting me to sleep faster than I thought. So I'll save all the overthinking of things for the morning...

**. . .**

And what a beautiful morning it was!

I awoke to sunlight piercing through the dew-covered brush. Its light glimmering off the water droplets in the grass. I was amazed by how well I slept, all things considered. Maybe it was because I was a pokemon now? Or maybe this grass was just... Really soft.

"Huh?" I realized upon standing, that I was covered in dew as well. Yeah that checked out I suppose. "Maybe I can just-" Making like a dog, I shook myself in similar manner. Flinging off most of the dew in one easy go, but I was still a little damp afterwards. "Good enough for now."

Wait, hold on, the camp was suspiciously empty. Where did Char go?

"Hey Char!?" I called out, wondering if he was somewhere nearby.

"Up here!" His voice sounded from the top of the hill beside our camp.

What is he doing up there? I guess there's only one way to find out. I made the climb, being a little extra careful because the grass was still wet in the hills shadow. I reached the summit in a moment or two, spotting Char sitting on the grass with his tail swishing back and forth idly. "Sup?" I asked as I approached.

"I woke up a little while ago," He replied, never looking back at me. "I always like to come up here and watch the sunrise."

"The sunrise?" I repeated, following his gaze out and over the fields and forest. The land stretching from here to the coast, bathed in the morning light and sparkling with dew.

I felt something in me at that moment, a childlike wonder. Like the first time I ever played a pokemon game, my own imagination building the beautiful world out of those 2D world sprites. A gentle breeze carried the scent of morning into my nose, and I couldn't help but breathe in to savor it. The music of the Poni Wilds played in my head, as I saw the silhouettes of bird pokemon flying through the morning skies. The world was waking up, and it was a magnificent sight.

"Wow..." Was all I could say.

"Yeah, its pretty- whoa, hey are you alright?!" Char exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" I blinked, only to then realize my eyes had teared up a bit. Was I really so moved by this? Why was I even questioning it? Or course I was! "Y-Yeah I'm fine its just... We don't have views like this where I'm from." I mean, maybe we did, I'd just never seen them.

Char's worry disappeared, and he smiled softly. "Well, I'm glad you like it."

I did like it, I loved it. This right here? This was like the final conclusive thing I needed to see. I had no doubt in my mind now, I was in a world of pokemon.

"Alright Char, lets figure out how to get into Iron Town!"

And my new life starts now!

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I wasn't exactly planning to have another chapter out so soon, and I don't planning on committing to a strict schedule like I've done with other stories so... Expect chapters to just go up once they're finished lol**

**Sadly I won't be able to do any writing this weekend, I'm going up north to open the family cabin. But I'm really enjoying writing this so it'll give me time to brainstorm :D _I mean what else is a 4 hour car ride good for T~T_**

**Anyways, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! **


	3. Our First Job! And My First Battle!

**KuramaTBZ: Thank you! And I agree, setting deadlines can be bad. I just prefer to be transparent about when I can and cannot post so people aren't expecting something that isn't gonna happen when they are waiting for it lol **

**Ultima-Owner: Yeah, something like that...**

* * *

"Well, there are a few ways." Picking up from right where we left off. "Pay our way in, bring food or other supplies... Really just anything that proves we are gonna contribute."

Alright, that sort of narrowed it down. But didn't really help, "Okay, any idea how we can do that around here?"

"Not... Really." Char shifted nervously, finally getting up from his seat on the hill. "The thing is, not many people go in and out of Iron Town, the place hardly sees any travel since the mine shut down a decade ago."

So that's what happened. A booming town sitting on top of a mine that lost all comers when the money maker shut down. "Alright, well lets hit the road and see if we can find any supplies to bring in." Better than sitting around here right?

"O-Okay! Sounds good Lucas!

"You know what? Just call me Luca, the 'S' isn't really necessary." And sounded less like it fit into "Lucario"... And Luca also kinda sounded cooler, might as well live up the fantasy world right?

Making our way back down into the camp, Char walked over and grabbed his satchel from the area he was sleeping. Slinging it over one shoulder, he quickly began to dig through its contents. "Whatchya looking for?" I questioned curiously.

"Breakfast of course!" He answered quickly, pulling out a juicy apple. "Can't go running around the countryside on an empty stomach, here!" Tossing it to me before pulling out another. "These are my last two, so we need to find some more." He added, before starting to munch on his food.

Huh, always figured Charmander would be a carnivore. Oh well, this apple looked juicy. So I sunk my teeth in, and was immediately blasted with flavor. This was the best apple I'd ever tasted! So sweet, with a satisfying crunch to it. "Mmm! Holy shi-" Catching myself as I coughed roughly, "I-I mean uh, its really good!"

"I know right?" Char laughed through a mouthful, making a mess. "I love these apples, and I think I'm the only one that knows where the tree is! Nobody else ever picks them!"

I blinked in surprise at that, looking back down at my own apple. "Char, why don't we try bringing some of these apples to Iron Town?"

He nearly dropped his apple core, looking at me like I'd slapped him across the face. Before his eyes lit up, "That's a great idea! I can't believe I never thought of that!"

He probably just wanted to keep the apples to himself, but I couldn't blame him. "Alright, lead the way!" I ordered, crunching down the last of my own. My small stomach was absolutely filled, and I was full of energy!

We took to the road, Char taking the lead as we made our way south towards the coast. Leaving behind the forest and stepping out over windy plains, no trees aside from the odd patch of brush surrounding a lone trunk. Along the way, I saw a number of roaming pokemon which surprised me. After hearing about Iron Town I figured the pokemon in the area must just be all living there.

But according to Char, most pokemon actually live in the wild and among close-knit communities. Claiming territory and living in camps, kinda like we did last night. Evidently, there were only three actual pokemon "Cities" on the continent. Some place called "Valor" to the East, a massive sprawling city according to the rumors. To the West was a smaller place known as "Treasure Town", situated on the coast. And in the middle of the continent where the land mass narrowed, up that big mountain, was Iron Town.

"So this apple tree is... Sitting on a cliff by the coast?" I questioned, hands behind my head as we went. By now it was mid afternoon, we'd spent a lot of time walking.

"That's right," Char nodded, leading the way with a big smile. "It shouldn't be too much further once we reach the beach."

Awesome, because I wasn't too big on the whole "walking around" thing. I guess I should get used to that though, not like they were gonna have cars here. Can't believe I wasted a year of my life getting a drivers license for-

"Who's that?" I stopped as Char spoke, and looking ahead I spotted a pink pokemon sitting on the edge of the road.

"Looks like... An Audino." I replied, quirking an eyebrow. "Is she crying?"

"We should go see what's wrong!" Char exclaimed, running ahead before I had a chance to respond. So I guess that's what we were doing now... "Uh, excuse me?"

She looked up from her hands, good lord those big eyes filled with tears was hard too look at. "Y-Yes?" A girl, guess I should have figured. But she sounded older, definitely older than us at least.

"Whats wrong?" Char asked, "Why are you crying?"

Yeah I think handling crying girls was less my speed. So I'd let him take this one. "Oh its just terrible, I was on my way to join my family in Iron Town... But I've been robbed!"

"What?" I blinked in surprise. So crime was a thing? Huh, I guess with society comes scum, no matter what world you're in.

"What did they take?" Char pressed, sounding a bit more on edge.

"I was just on my way back from Shaymin Village, with a load of medicine for the upcoming winter." Okay, this was starting to sound pretty serious. "Please, if you can help me recover it I'll be so grateful! I can even pay you! My family has plenty of money!"

Cha-Ching! "Oh no, we don't need payment," Char, what are you doing? "Just helping out is enou- OW!" He yelped as I elbowed him in the ribs.

This guy was just too nice. "Yeah no payment, but if you could get us into Iron Town that would be great." I offered with a big grin.

Audino nodded her head quickly, "Of course, if you can recover the medicine I'll tell the town that you were my escorts and helped me along the way."

"Perfect," I nodded, "Now who took your stuff?"

"Two pokemon, one was a normal type I think, very small but fast." She explained quickly. "The other was a Geodude, they were heading for the beach."

"They might be trying to hide out in some of the caves along the shore." Char pointed out, "Come on, we should hurry."

"Right," A normal type and a rock type? Sounds easy enough, I am a fighting type after all! "We'll be back soon! Just wait right here!"

**. . .**

So, I think there is a new problem that must be addressed.

"Come on! Just keep following the footprints!"

I don't really have any idea what moves I know, nor do I know how to use them.

"There! Down by the cliffside! I see someone!"

And I needed to figure it out fast!

"HEY!" Char shouted at the figures up ahead. Sandy beach and shore to our right, red cliffside to our left. "Stop right there THIEVES!"

I could see the Geodude alright, and as he tugged along the bag of goods a smaller pokemon bounced beside him. "A Buneary, well this should be easy."

"Oh craps its the Fuzz!" Geodude exclaimed in a rough, deep male voice.

"No it ain't you moron," The female Buneary scoffed, swatting the rock upside the head with her ear. "Just a couple kids, so what did that old lady beg you for help?"

"Yes actually."

"We are responding to her heartfelt plea!" Char exclaimed confidently, where did this come from? "Now return that medicine, or face the consequences!"

"Fat chance!" Geodude barked back, raking his massive hands along the cliff face and pulling free a couple of large rocks. "Take THIS!" Before hurling the stones in our direction.

"Agh!" Char's bravado vanished in an instant as he dove out of the way.

I moved out of reaction, jumping back a few feet to evade the boulders. Moving faster than I thought possible, _"Oh, right, I'm probably a lot faster and stronger than a human." _I realized, landing on my feet. I locked eyes with the rock pokemon, smirking as I got an idea. _"Alright! Lets try..."_ I took a step forward, thrusting my open palm at him. "Aura Sphere!" Well, it wasn't an Aura Sphere. But Geodude was blasted by a burst of force released from my hand. Vacuum Cut, still a fighting type move so that works I guess?

"Was that supposed to be a bluff?" WHEN DID SHE GET BEHIND ME!? "Whatever, don't care." Two rabbit feet planted against my side, kicking me with incredible force and throwing me right off my feet. I tumbled across the sand right past Char, double kick I think?

"Luca!" Char exclaimed, eyes darting to me.

Taking his eyes off the enemy was bad, "Watch out!" I thrust my hands forward while getting up, releasing another Vacuum Cut to blast away an incoming rock. "Focus Char!" I was sore already from those kicks, but I had no intention of throwing in the towel so early. "I've got the Geodude, keep an eye on that Buneary!" I ordered, heart racing. It made sense, I was a fighting type and if Char got hit by one of those rocks it would be super effective.

"R-Right!" Char turned to face off against the rabbit pokemon now positioned behind us. Technically we were surrounding, but I was confident. I'd run Nuzlocke's before, this was hardly a worst case scenario. The odds were in our favor after all, I just had to make the right move. "Take this!" Char opened his mouth, unleashing a small stream of fire that splashed across the sands, keeping the Buneary back.

It was no flamethrower, but it would do. "Alright rock head!" I started sprinting towards Geodude, using my superior speed to close the gap. But I misjudged my momentum, not used to moving so quickly. And walked right into a Headbutt from Geodude, my nose slamming right into his stone surface. "Gah! That smarts!" I cringed, holding my nose while my eyes watered a bit.

He took the opportunity to grab another nearby rock and bash me upside the head with it. I was knocked right off my feet and landed beside the water, "Heheheheh, talk tough for little 'mon." He chuckled maliciously, I rolled just in time to see him hovering over me. Holding a boulder above his head. "Bye bye!"

Is he seriously about to try and crush me to death!?

"Ruk! Don't!" The Buneary?

"Oh come on!" Ruk grunted in response, turning his attention to her and lowering his guard. "They's the ones that started it!"

"Yeah," I smirked, holding up both hands. "Now I'm finishing it!" That's right, cool one liner, I'm so awesome. "Lets try this again!" I thrust my hands back and forth quickly, unleashing a barrage of Vacuum Cuts. Blasting Ruk against the wall with the waves of force I was unleashing. "HAAAAAAAAAAH!" After a few seconds, my arms fell limp at my sides. Sore and numb, but Ruk was knocked out cold against the cliff wall.

I was curious if I'd actually have to pause between certain moves. And it seemed my suspicions were correct. Because I didn't pause between firing those Vacuum Waves off, I couldn't even move my arms. Hopefully that didn't last long, "One down over here Char!" Maybe if I trained and got stronger I'd be able to do more with less drawbacks?

"Alright!" The little fire lizard replied with a grin, "Nice work!" As he tried to duck and dodge Buneary swiping at him with her ears or feet. At the same time, he lashed back at her with his own claws or brief spats of fire. I wanted to help, but with my arms numb I couldn't really do much.

Though, I did notice a pattern in her movements. Easy enough to see from outside their fight, the way she always landed after bouncing into her attacks. "Char! Go for the legs!" His response was so quick, I felt like I was just putting in the inputs to a video game.

Char spun around, swinging his tail low as the Buneary came down from another jump kick. Taking her legs right out from under her before she could land properly, "Agh!" She hit the ground, and Char quickly planted a foot on her chest to keep her in place. "Ugh... Unbelievable..." She grumbled, holding up her arms in surrender.

"Nice." I could feel my fingers a little bit, good to know this wasn't permanent. "That wasn't so bad," Making my way over to the unconscious Ruk to grab the satchel. "Oh, right... Char, I can't move my arms! Can you give me a hand?" Literally.

"Your arms? What happened?" Forgetting all about the Buneary, he quickly ran over and picked up the bag. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," I'd wave him off if I could. "Just a little numb, over did it at the end, come on lets get this medicine back to that Audino."

"Yeah... But what should we do about them?" Char questioned, looking at the unconscious Ruk and the still unnamed Buneary. She was just glaring daggers at us, but made no move to continue the fight.

"Leave them I guess," Not like we were the police. "We got back what they stole." As I started walking.

"Don't think you've won!" Buneary barked at as in passing, "You may have gotten lucky this time, but the Iron Bay Bandits will have all your belongings next time!" She huffed, marching over to her unconscious comrade.

Geez, she sounds like a cartoon villain. "Right, well better luck next time!" I called back, as we made our way off the beach. All in all, ominously murderous Geodude aside, that was pretty fun! "Man, I've never actually fought in a battle before, that was intense." Still riding that victory high I think.

"Yeah, pokemon love to fight." He chuckled in response, "So long as it isn't too dangerous... I'm glad we won."

"We make a pretty good team." I added, turning my torso left and right to make my numb arms flop around a little.

Char was snickering at my movements, "Stop that! It looks so gross!"

Never. "Maybe we can get a job as like, security or something in Iron Town." Flopping my arms left and right.

"Ha! Yeah maybe... Or maybe we could even send in an application to the Explorers Guild in Treasure Town!"

"The what now?"


	4. Welcome To Iron Town, It Sucks

**Ultima-owner: Maybe, guess you'll have to wait and find out ;3**

* * *

"Thank you both so much!"

"Gnngh!"

"Hnngh!"

If you'd asked me yesterday what I thought the physical strength of an Audino was, I'd probably have said that it wasn't a lot.

"C-Can't... Breathe!"

But this kind old pokemon was a hugger, and our small bodies were being crushed against her strangely plush and spongy form.

"O-Oh dear, I'm so sorry," She laughed nervously, letting us go. "I'm just so happy, you have no idea how bad the winters can be on that mountain." She shook her head at the thought. "I do hope getting it back wasn't much trouble."

"Nah, no big deal." I waved her off, arms okay enough to move. "Just a little scrap, nothing major."

"Here." She held out her hands, a faint pink light emanating from them while her ears lifted up. I guess she was using Heal Pulse? Because as the light washed over me, any remaining soreness and fatigue I had was washed away.

"Wow, thanks!" I felt good as new, I sure hope all medical treatment in this world was that easy!

"Of course," She nodded her head, "My Heal Pulse lets me handle most minor injuries, of course you'd need proper treatment for something like broken bones or sickness."

Dammit.

"Thanks a lot," Char added in, "But we should hurry to Iron Town, at this rate it's gonna be dark by the time we get there."

"Oh my, you're right." Audino blinked, quickly sliding the satchel over her shoulder. "Lets hurry along now! My mate will be worried I haven't arrived on time!"

Mate? "Mate?" I repeated, quirking an eyebrow. I guess she did mention she had a family in town.

"Yes, my mate Monty," She explained with a smile, "He fixes things around town, helped keep Iron Town on its feet once the mine was closed down."

"Sounds like a good guy." Char nodded, as we began walking. "Can't wait to meet him."

"I'm sure he'll love to have you both over for dinner!"

**. . .**

By the time we finished our climb up the mountain path, it was well past sundown. Luckily Char's tail was more than enough to help light our way. And before long we came upon a large wooden gate in the narrow pass, sheer rock to our left and right. We had to be pretty deep in the stone work at this point, but beyond the wall I could hear running water and some idly chatter.

"Who goes there!?" A voice called from above.

"Let me handle this," Audi whispered, stepping forward. "Its Audi! I've returned with medical supplies from Shaymin Village!"

A figure jumped down from above, a blue pokemon clad in a black and white karate gi. "Hmm? And who are these two?" A Sawk, no doubt about it.

"I was accosted by thieves on the road," Audi explained, "These two brave young ones retrieved the medicine for me, if not for them we wouldn't have any for the upcoming winter."

The Sawk scratched his chin, eyeing both of us over before he nodded. "Well, if they can fight I'm sure we can put them to use... Open the gate!" He shouted, banging on the door.

A loud creaking sounded along with a deep groan. The wood was pulled apart slow and steady, the gates swinging open. On the other side, I could see a Throh tugging the thick ropes, putting his immense strength to use. I guess these two were the gate guards?

"Welcome back," The Sawk said to Audi, before looking to us. "And welcome to Iron Town."

"Thank you." Audi nodded, "Come along, lets get you out of the cold." She added, waving for us to follow as she made her way inside.

"Right..." Char and I followed right behind her, under the watchful eyes of both Sawk and Throh. I could see a few torches lit inside the town, a waterfall running down the mountain created a river flowing through the village. Though there were no lights coming from the other side as far as I could see. Only a little over a dozen buildings were actually lit, and I spotted a few pokemon hanging around that gave us looks as we passed by. A Snover and Phantump didn't shy away from staring us down as we walked past, neither did the Druddigon standing guard outside the largest building at the center of the village. A town hall perhaps?

But nobody said anything, and soon enough we came to a stop outside a large home. Like the others, it appeared to be made out of stone. An almost dome-like structure with a few side rooms connected and windows carved out of the frame. "Right in here." Audi smiled, pushing open the door, "Monty? I'm home!"

Char and I stepped in behind her, looking around. Lights came from a room to our left, as well as the main room ahead of us. "So-"

My words hitched as a flaming monkey head poked out around the door frame ahead of us. Goggles hiding his eyes, before one hand followed and tugged them out of the way. "Audi? Oh you're finally back!" The Infernape came around the corner like a bat outta hell, scooping up Audino and spinning around excitedly as she laughed. "I was so worried!"

"I know, I'm sorry but I was held up on the road." She explained as he slowed down. Her squishy body was absolutely mashed against his own form. The display was kinda cute, but also a little...

"Should we wait outside?" I asked, shifting nervously and rubbing the back of my head.

"Hmm?" Monty the Infernape blinked as he looked down at us. "Who are these two?"

"They helped me get back my medicine when it was stolen," She explained quickly as he put her down. "I offered to let them stay here for the time being, I hope that's okay..."

"Of course!" Monty laughed, flashing us a big grin. "Any friend of Audi's is a friend of mine! You can take the spare room down the hall." He pointed to the right, "I'm sure Del will appreciate having some friends her own age."

"Thanks," Char bowed his head respectfully, "We really appreciate it, we'll do anything we can to help out around here."

Fair, I guess. "Yeah, what he said." Although, I think we're pretty square as far as owing each other anything...

Audi nodded to us both, "Go ahead and get settled in, I'm gonna put away this medicine."

"And I'll get dinner started!" Monty added, quickly rushing back down the hall he'd come from.

As both of them left us alone, Char looked back at me with a smile, "Come on! Lets check out our room!" Eagerly making his way down the right hall.

I followed behind him, still kinda taking in the concept of a pokemon village. Certainly wasn't anything I'd expected, but I had a feeling I would be tempering my expectations often in this world. We passed through the door into a dusty, unused space. A single bed rested against the far wall along with a small table in the center of the room. Char walked over to a small fire place and stuck his tail in, igniting the wood within and giving us some light.

"We really did it," He was still beaming. "We got into Iron Town! This is so exciting!"

I, meanwhile, hopped up onto the bed. Patting it down to brush away the dust, "Yeah, but what do we do now?"

"Well, probably find jobs." Char shrugged casually, "As much as I appreciate the hospitality, I don't want to live in a guest room forever... So lets try and get our own house in town!"

I suppose I did see plenty of empty ones on the way in. "I guess that works..." Maybe I was just looking for some kind of objective, as if this were still a video game. "We should explore the town tomorrow, I wanna get a read on this place."

"Sounds like a good idea." Char nodded, sitting beside the fire. "You can take the bed if you want, I'm fine down here by the heat."

"Nice."

**. . .**

We only got to relax a short while however, before we were called out to the center room for dinner. And we entered to see a table set with five bowls, each filled with colorful berries. I found my way to a seat quickly, always had been curious what the pokemon world berries tasted like. "It looks great." I offered to our gracious host.

"Thanks!" Monty replied instantly, "I spent a whole 5 minutes digging them out of our berry storage!" Before laughing loudly.

He was certainly a lively one. Taking a seat at the head of the table while Audi sat beside him. "And we all appreciate it, Monty... Where's Del?"

"Turned in early tonight," Monty stated, taking a big bite of a Persim Berry, "Mmm, said she was tired."

No shame in talking through a mouthful, were all pokemon like that? "Who is Del?" Char asked.

"Our daughter," Audi explained with a smile. "Adopted, she didn't have any family left after what happened in the mine so we took her in."

This abandoned mine keeps getting brought up, almost sounds like a plot point. "Yeah so... What _did_ happen in the mine?" I asked, taking a bite out of an oran ber- Oh my god this is the best fruit I've ever tasted!

"Well, Iron Town was once a small village," Monty explained casually. Kind enough to swallow before speaking this time at least. "Before the falls opened up, and the water cleared the way to a large cavern... Inside, the townsfolk found various metal veins and gem stones." He explained, sipping from his water. "Word got out, and a mining company from Valor came and offered everyone enormous amounts of money for rights to dig it out."

"And then came the Explorers from Wigglytuff's Guild in Treasure Town," Audi chimed in upon finishing her food. "With all the money being thrown around from both sides, Iron Town had gold enough to rival Valor itself!"

"And then... It all came to an end," Monty released a heavy sigh. "The mine ran dry, the vast supplies of gemstones and metals was reduced to little more than scraps... Not worth making such a long trip over."

"Some were still foolish enough to go digging in the stripped tunnels." Audi shook her head. "As Iron Town's reserves of money dwindled thanks our high demand for supplies, with more pokemon leaving every year... Some became desperate."

I could guess where this was going, I knew enough about structural integrity. "So there was a collapse?"

"That's right," Monty nodded, "Del's father was one of the few who did not make it out, and her mother had passed away from sickness during a particularly bad winter a few years prior." Finishing up the last of his own meal. "I was a friend of her fathers, and since she didn't have anyone left we took her in..."

Dark. "Geez... That's rough." Was about all I could offer. I certainly wasn't expecting this kinda thing in the pokemon world.

Char lowered his head as well, frowning. "That's awful... It must have been hard on her."

"Nah, its totally cool." I nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. Having not even heard the Braixen enter. She had a relatively bored look on her face, "Dad died saving a bunch of idiots that liked digging holes, so its all good right?" She scoffed, grabbing her bowl of berries and walking back the way she came.

Monty reached out a hand for her, "Del..."

"Thanks for the food." Not bothering to stop as she went back to her room.

Leaving the rest of us in silence. And boy was it uncomfortable. I didn't really feel like finishing my food anymore, and Audi seemed to take notice. "Don't mind her... She's just always been a little sore about the subject as you can probably understand."

"I don't blame her." Char scratched the back of his head. "Anyways... Thanks for dinner, I think we're gonna hit the sack now."

"Of course." Monty nodded, "And again, thank you for helping Audi."

Well that was both informative and uncomfortable. Here's hoping tomorrow is a little more... Progressive. All things considered though, it only took us a day to get into Iron Town so in a month I could probably rule the world. But on that note, what exactly was my goal here?

Arceus said this was my chance at a second life, so was I just supposed to live as a pokemon now? Get a job and pay for a home or something? Ugh, this would be so much easier if I were in one of the OTHER pokemon games. I could just be a trainer and get super famous and like, join the Elite Four or become a gym leader.

Steel type, definitely steel type.

I guess maybe I'll just go along with Char for now. He seems to have a pretty good idea of what's going on and what we should do, so I'll just be the sidekick for now...

**. . .**

After a small breakfast, Char and I were on our way out the door to explore Iron Town and find ourselves some work. Which, considering the poor state of everything around here, hopefully wouldn't be that hard.

The streets of the town weren't exactly bustling, but I saw more faces than last night. And it was much easier to make out the buildings. One was headed by a large Kangaskhan, the female pokemon sitting behind the counter of her storage unit it looked like. I saw a few pokemon passing by and handing her bags of goods that she put into carefully organized boxes in the back.

A number of Lombre were hanging out around the river, fishing out specks of gold that seemed to run down the mountain. A large, and rather grumpy looking Ludicolo was heading the operation and didn't pay us much mind as we passed by.

We even passed by a small farm, kept in check by a number of Oddish and Nuzleaf. The small plant pokemon going around and sprinkling their spores over the growing berry bushes while the Nuzleaf were picking whatever was ripe. It seemed like a pretty efficient system all things considered. But even so I could see that Iron Town wasn't doing so well.

The city was halved by the river, and everything on the opposite side was abandoned. Some signs pointed to the abandoned mine, but there was no point in going there.

"Whoa," I blinked in surprise at the site of our final stop. Staring up at a building shaped like a Fist on the outside. "What do you think they do here?"

Char looked at me confused, "Can't you read the sign?"

You mean all those scribbles and weird symbols? Wait, these pokemon had a written language!? "Uh... N-Never learned." I laughed it off nervously, sweating already. This was bad, very bad.

"Geez, you must have really grown up in the sticks." Char chuckled lightly, "Well it says, 'Jack and Lee's Dojo'." He was joking right? "Come on, lets go check it out!"

Sure, why not. Maybe I could like, safely level up and get some practice in at a dojo. Making our way inside, I was met with an incredibly barren interior. No weights or training equipment aside from a few dummies. But in the center of a chalk drawn ring, a Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were duking it out, sparring with one another at a fast pace. Trading blows, punches and kicks, back and forth.

"A lot of fighting types around here." I noted out loud, causing the battle before us to come to a screeching halt. And I stiffened as both sets of eyes landed on me. "Uh... Hi?"

"Hmm..." The Hitmonchan approached, examining me with keen eyes. "Riolu, fighting type, rare..." He grunted.

"Not much right now," Hitmonlee added, both of them seemingly ignoring Char. "But has potential."

"Okay, first of all, rude." I scoffed, crossing my arms. I mean they were right, but still. "Second-"

"I am Lee," The Hitmonchan bowed his head. "And this is my sparring partner, Jack." Now I _know _someone is messing with me.

"So you two run this dojo?" Char surmised easily enough. "Do you train others here?"

"That is correct," Jack answered, crossing his arms over his face-chest. I was still trying to figure out how he was talking to us with no mouth. "For a nominal fee, we can turn even that squishy discolored body of yours into a fine fighting machine."

"You two are... Very rude." Or just blunt, but maybe that was the point with these fighting types...

Char pouted, placing his hands on his stomach. "Its not... That squishy..."

"Either way, we've got more town to explore." I waved them both off. "So we'll be going now."

"Wait!" Lee exclaimed suddenly, reaching out. "We could throw in a... Free lesson? See if you want to join the dojo!

"Appreciate the offer," Char replied, "But we don't have any money, and are looking for jobs."

"Jobs, w-well maybe we could work out a deal?" Jack offered, bringing his hands together.

Char and I both looked at one another. Quirking an eyebrow, I took the bait. "What did you have in mind?"

Jack and Lee shared a brief glance, before Jack nodded. "We are in desperate need of students, there are of some youthful fighting types hanging around in a mountain pass not far from here... Perhaps you could convince them to take a class?"

"And why can't you do this?" I questioned curiously.

"Because we are masters," Lee explained. "We have tried to convince them ourselves before, but they are young and impatient... Don't think the time and work they put in here is worth it."

"But," Jack added quickly, "If two young pokemon near their own age were to show up and... Show them how much progress you've made at the dojo in such a short time, they might be convinced."

"So you want us to lie?" Char surmised, crossing his arms.

"Look, it may not be honest but more working residents in Iron Town is good for everyone," Jack stated, "If we can convince them to stay, Mayor Sloke would be very happy."

Mayor Sloke, someone I should probably meet. "And what is in it for us?"

"Proving to the Mayor that you can get things done will no doubt get you more work!" Lee nodded excitedly, "And you could join the training classes for free!"

"Hmm..." I crossed my arms, looking to Char. "What do you think?"

He didn't look so sure either, "I suppose... Getting Iron Town back on its feet helps everyone right? So why not?"

To be completely honest, I wasn't a huge fan of Iron Town so far. It had so little to offer and asked for quite a bit. But even so, "Alright, I guess we'll do it." A free training class might be a good idea, I needed to get stronger.

"Excellent! Here, I'll give you the map we made!"

Job Number Two...

START!


	5. Truths, Lies, And Me Being Bad At Fights

**We're back everyone! Sorry for the delay, I just realized when working on this that I wanted to finish Gwenom before really diving in. So now we're back! Updates will remain unscheduled as they were before, but expect at LEAST one chapter a week, hopefully...**

**LETS GOOOOOOOOO!**

* * *

And just like that we were out of Iron Town again. Walking along the mountain paths, Char reading over the map while I just enjoyed the scenery. Never did get to see big mountains or explore them in the real world... Was that the right term? I mean, this world _is_ real in some regard. Ugh, forget it. I'll worry about the existential crap another time.

"Looks like they are living out of a cave not too far from," He stated simply, leading us down another path. "I wonder why they haven't tried moving into Iron Town..."

"Maybe they did," I pointed out with a shrug. "Maybe they weren't allowed entry, for one reason or another."

"Yeah, I guess..." He nodded in response. "So... What do you think of Iron Town so far?"

"It is... Rough." Yeah, that was a good way to put it. "I guess I was expecting a little more... Well, more."

"I knew the town wasn't in a great place," Char released a small sigh. "But that was worse than I expected."

"You've lived in this... Region, your whole life haven't you?" He mentioned never going beyond the plains right?

"Yeah, but I was always scared to climb the mountain." Char admitted begrudgingly, "Rock types are bad for my health... And the one time I did, I was turned away from Iron Town because I couldn't offer much."

"Really?" I quirked an eyebrow, "An endless source of fire, and from what I saw the other day you're a pretty good fighter."

Making him laugh nervously, "Gee, thanks... But I'm nothing special really, any fire type could do what I do." His confidence came and went pretty often, weird. "I trained hard to get better at fighting, and I had to defend myself sometimes in the wild... I'm probably pretty close to evolving as is right now."

"Makes sense," I nodded, "Charmander evolve pretty early..." Oh no... Hang on a second... How am I supposed to evolve!? Riolu evolves by maxing out friendship or happiness or some crap! How does that translate to-

"You know a lot about other pokemon." Char pointed out, "Were you like... A doctor or something?"

Hey... That's actually a pretty good excuse. "I uh... Yeah, something like that." I nodded quickly, running with it. "I grew up with access to a lot of information on pokemon," Its called "Google", "And didn't have much else to do but study until I uh... Came out this way."

"Where did you come from exactly?" Char pressed, tilting his head. "East or West?"

Dammit, "Uh... N-Neither?"

"So you... Came from the sea?"

I stopped briefly, taking in a deep breath and sighing. "Okay, look... The truth is," What do I say what do I say what do I say!? "I lost my memory." Good enough! "I don't remember where I came from, or how I got here... Just a lot of pokemon knowledge and my name."

Char stared back at me, concern filling his big gullible eyes. "That's awful, why didn't you say anything?"

I nervously rubbed the back of my head. "Dude I've known you for like a day, and I'm still not even sure what's going on so... I was just kinda playing it all by ear."

"Oh... Well, sorry I guess..." Char shifted nervously, "That sounds scary, not remembering anything."

"Yeah, horrifying." Okay, now I just have to keep up this lie for the rest of my life everything will be fine right? "Anyways... Lets just keep moving, not like we can do anything about it now right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Was lying to him the best course of action? I don't know. Telling anyone the truth about where I came from didn't seem like a good idea. It would raise so many questions, ones I probably couldn't answer. And all that aside, do these pokemon even know what a human is? So far I hadn't seen or heard anything suggesting humans even existed in this world. Something I'd have to look into later I suppose...

**. . .**

"This looks like the place."

"What gave it away?" I asked, staring up at the caves mouth. The insides lined with marks of punches and kicks, like fighting went on all over inside.

"Come on." Char lead the way, his tail making for a good light. But up ahead I could see natural light, like the cave itself wasn't very long and opened up. So I guess it was more of a tunnel... I'm a great narrator.

Marks lined the walls all around us. Some in the pokemon language, and others just checks or fists or foot prints. Jack and Lee only said that there was a few of them, but he never gave an exact number. Hopefully they would come along without much trouble. It would certainly be good if our first job went well.

Finally reaching the end of the tunnel, we stepped out into a small clearing. The ground covered in moss and other small bits of vegetation, a massive hole in the roof providing sunlight. I could see a small campfire and some piles of moss and leaves, beds I guess?

"I don't see any-" My ears twitched at the faintest sound of movement. Out of reaction, I jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding a falling stone that crashed into the floor.

"Agh!" Char gasped, stumbling back as well. "Luca! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I assured, eyes darting up to the hole in the ceiling. "Hey! What's the big idea!? You trying to kill someone!?"

Okay, maybe the rock wasn't big enough to kill me, but it definitely would have hurt!

I watched as a rotund head poked out. Little ears on top, with a flat nose. "You're quick on your feet! Might actually be worth fighting!" The fat round body rolled over the side, jumping down to join us along with two others. Leading the small group, was a Pignite. And beside him stood a Tyrogue, and Meditite.

"Who are you two?" The Meditite asked, based on the voice it was definitely a girl. "And what are you doing here?"

"Yeah," The male Tyrogue added, "This is _our _turf, nobody comes here unless they want a beat down!"

"Uh, n-no need for that," Char assured, holding up his hands. "We actually came on behalf of the Dojo in Iron Town! See, they're looking for new students and-"

"Ha! No chance errand boy!" Pignite scoffed with a hearty laugh. "We don't need no stupid dojo to get strong, and those old geezers couldn't teach us anything new."

Well this was going well. "Are you so sure?" I questioned, crossing my arms. "That Rock Throw of yours was pretty weak, easy to dodge... Could definitely use some work."

"Yeah well I was taking it easy on you," Pignite grunted in response, I'd definitely struck a nerve. "Gotta look out for fellow fighting types right?"

So he knew what I was, "Yeah, so why don't you join us at the dojo? We could all get stronger together... First lesson is free."

"What?" Char blinked, before I shot him a look. Whatever it took to get these guys in, even if it wasn't completely honest.

"Not gonna happen," Pignite huffed, "We don't want anything to do with Iron-"

"But Embry," The Meditite added in quickly, "Isn't winter getting closer?"

"Yeah, what about it Midi?" Tyrogue questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm just saying," She held up her hands defensively. "We were gonna have to move off the mountain anyways when the snow hits, why don't we try Iron Town?"

"She makes a good point." Char chimed in, wearing a friendly smile, "It'll be much safer in town during the winter."

"I ain't afraid of the cold," Embry scoffed back at him, "However... Since my bro and sis are split, lets make a deal." Oh great, more deals! "Prove to us that the dojo made you stronger, and we'll give it a shot."

"So, a battle?" I assumed. That didn't sound very good, considering Pignite is an evolved pokemon he likely had levels on us.

"That's right, you two versus us three." He said, pointing to Midi and the Tyrogue.

Well, that was better I guess. "Sounds good to me." Char nodded his head, "In here or..." We'd be fighting at a disadvantage, having one less fighter.

"Nah, we'll fight outside, Midi do the thing!"

"On it boss!" Her eyes glowed, using a psychic power I guess. Before a rope ladder fell down from the hole above, "Come on!" The three quickly making their ascent.

I looked to Char, "You sure about this?"

"No," Char replied, frowning, "And I'm not sure about you _lying_ either, but here we are." Okay, he was upset I guess.

"Look, I just said what needed to be said," I assured, as we made our way to the ladder. "These guys don't exactly seem to be very negotiable."

Char began to climb first, "Still, lying is wrong..."

Why did I have to get stuck with the Pokemon that had a golden heart?

The hole up top lead to an even larger clearing. Like a tiny valley hidden away in the mountains, resting on a flat plateau. A small stream ran across it, various trees and foliage as well. Plenty of room for a fight too. Embry and Tyrogue took a seat on a stump on the far side, while Midi took to the field of grass between us.

"I'll go first." She said with a smirk, assuming a fighting stance.

"You wanna take this one?" Char asked curiously.

Was he serious? "Not really," I shook my head. "Meditite are part psychic, she could have moves that would be super effective against me and my fighting moves will have reduced power."

"Ooooh, good thinking." A golden heart, but a real lack of common sense I think. "I'll go first!"

And so he took to the field with Midi, the two locking eyes with one another. And as I stood behind Char, I felt like I was actually watching a pokemon battle from the trainers perspective. It was kinda cool actually, but I was still nervous. I needed to figure out how I was gonna handle that Tyrogue on my own.

"GO!" My thoughts were interrupted as Embry shouted.

And the battle began!

"HYAAAH!" Midi jumped into the air, front flipping into a Jump Kick!

But Char was surprisingly agile, and back-stepped out of her range letting Midi crash into the ground before opening his maw. A ball of fire was launched, striking Midi head on and exploding. Spreading small bits of fire all over the grass surrounding the blast zone.

"Nice!" I exclaimed, just enjoying the show really.

Midi was definitely injured, from both the recoil of hitting the ground and Char's Flame Burst. Speaking of which, Flame Burst is a pretty powerful move for a Charmander. Just how strong was Char exactly? I assumed we were on the same level, just being first forms. But thinking back to the beach, seeing him trade with that Buneary, and now this, I wasn't so sure.

"Hmph, you're pretty strong," Midi was panting heavily, definitely almost down for the count. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad? "But I'm not giving up that easily!" She charged him again, this time her right arm sparked with electricity, Thunder Punch!

"Oh crap!" I winced as the blow hit its mark. Slamming Char hard across the jaw, an explosion of electricity coursing through him on contact. "Char! Are you alright!?" But it was only then that I realized what was happening. My eyes widened, seeing that Char's feet were firmly planted, and his right hand was holding Midi by the wrist. I couldn't believe it, did he get hit on purpose!?

"My turn!" Char flashed a toothy grin, cocking back his free arm as it began to shimmer with energy. "MEGA PUNCH!"

"AAAGH!" Midi cried out in fear, before the blow slammed her in the center of the chest, the sheer force releasing a gust of wind. Char let go of her wrist, and the force of his punch sent the Meditite flying clear across the stream before she slid to a halt on the ground.

Holy shit! "Char! Where did that come from!?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

He looked back at me with a big grin, definitely proud of himself. "Living alone for so long, I did a lot of training to protect myself."

"You just got lucky!" The Tyrogue barked back at him, "My turn, get ready you stupid fire type..."

"Kick his butt Ryu!" Embry cheered as his angered companion stepped forward.

"Bring it on!" Char answered, but I had another idea.

"Wait, let me take this one!" I interrupted, moving forward as well.

"What?" Char blinked, "Why?"

Was he really gonna make me say it, "Because you're definitely stronger than me, you should save your strength for the Pignite." He had more skill and definitely more experience, so I wanted to play it safe. Always save your anchor for last right?

Char nodded in understanding, backing up, "Alright I'll trust you, good luck..." Something about the way he said it though, did he know something I didn't?

I looked back at Ryu, and just barely caught the faintest glimpse of a smirk on Embry's lips as he raised his hand. "Begin!"

Ryu assumed some kind of martial stance, one I didn't recognize. Standing up straight, fists at his sides while a faint aura seemed to glow around him as he took in a deep breath and released it slowly. Like he was focusing his- Oh shit, FOCUS ENERGY!

He's raising critical chance, "No you don't!" I need to knock him out before he has a chance to strike! I thrust both hands forward, and fired off two Vacuum Cuts, the bursts of air completely missing mark as Ryu back flipped out of the way. "Uh oh."

He landed in a crouched stance, planting his feet before launching himself forward at me. With incredibly physical prowess, he crossed the distance between us in a single step. His fists were cocked back now, and I had no time to dodge! Or maybe I did and I was just hesitating, staring down the barrel of what I could only imagine was gonna be a brutal beating.

"Finishing move! CLOSE COMBAT!"

Of course, why not?

I was absolutely blasted, heavy handed precision strikes hitting left and right. Blows landing over every inch of my body it felt like, pushing me back as he advanced with every punch and kick. The pain was horrific, like worse than anything I'd felt before I think. As I came sliding to a halt, covered in bruises and welts already. It hurt to move anything but I was still standing, I managed a glance at the Tyrogue.

"How are you... Still standing?" He asked, panting heavily for breath. His fists and feet were steaming, and he looked completely gassed.

Of course, Close Combat has stat drawbacks, using that kind of move must have left him exhausted! But he did raise a good point, how was I-

_"No... Give me Sturdy." _

My second passive ability! Of course, I was at full health! Which means... Now I am at 1 HP, no wonder everything hurts. But okay, that means I'm still in this! I've got a chance to fight back and-

"HYAGH!"

Ryu's foot slammed me across the jaw, and I was sent tumbling back on the ground. I landed flat on my back at Char's feet, dazed. I wasn't knocked out, but I knew I had no fighting power left. "Ow..."

"You okay?" Char asked, quirking an eyebrow as he looked down at me.

Do I look okay!? "Not... Really..." I grumbled, sitting up slowly, "Hey! That was a total sucker punch!" Okay, I was distracted and left myself totally open but still!

"I used my foot." Ryu shrugged.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"

"Just rest Luca," Char assured, stepping forward with a toothy grin, "I'll finish this up quick!"

"Hmph..." Ryu huffed, trying desperately to steady his breathing. "We'll see about that, I may be tired but I can still hit you with another Close Combat!" He charged Char, moving much slower than before. As if his muscles were left drained by the high powered move.

Char however, had other ideas. Holding his ground and waiting for Ryu to get close, too close to dodge that is. "Flame Burst!" Opening wide, he unleashed the ball of fire. Ryu standing no chance against it, was blasted point blank. The explosion splashing fire all around them, while the fighting type was thrown across the ground covered in small burns and scorch marks.

"What!?" Embry exclaimed, seeing his downed comrade, "Just one hit!? How!?"

"Close Combat is a taxing move," I stated, putting on a weak smirk as I forced myself up. "Using it weakens the body, lowering defenses... And your buddy used it twice."

Ryu struggled to sit up, wincing in pain. "I-I'm sorry Embry..."

The pig pokemon snorted and waved him off, "Don't apologize, you beat one of them... I'll take it from here." Stepping up to fight next, while Tyrogue pulled himself from the field to rest beside Midi. "Alright so you guys are tougher than I thought, but I know you didn't learn that at the dojo, no way!" He scoffed, slashing a hand through the air. "So I'm gonna beat you and send you crawling back to Iron Town!"

Without waiting for any kind of signal, the Pignite attacked. Blasting forward with a body cloaked in flame, picking up speed with every step he took. Char opened wide and fired off another Flame Burst, but it splashed harmlessly against Embry's body. Before the fat fire type slammed into Char, carrying him back and smashing the lizard pokemon into a rock!

"Agh!" He gasped out in pain, wind forced from his lungs on impact.

"Char!" I cried out as I watched, taken completely off guard by Embry's show of force.

"I won't let up either!" The Pignite declared, starting to deliver fast strikes with his hands, Arm Thrust no doubt. Battering Char as he struggled to dodge and fight back, backed right into a corner immediately!

"Hnngh! Y-You're strong but-" He managed to speak through clenched teeth, he was waiting for something, but what!? "I'm not done in so easily!"

"W-What!?" Embry exclaimed as Char caught him by both wrists. "Nngh! Let me go you little-" The Pigs words cut off by the massive orb of purple light erupting from Char's mouth. The attack was unleashed at point blank, releasing an explosion of light that sent Embry flying and rolling across the ground.

"Was that Dragon Rage!?" I exclaimed in disbelief as I watched.

"HaHA!" Char was beaming, even though he was battered. "Finally! Been trying to get that right for months now!"

Wait a minute, Charmander learns Dragon Rage at level 16... Does that mean he leveled up after beating Tyrogue? But he already knew Flame Burst, which Charmander learns a lot later... I'm so confused. Maybe the level knowledge didn't mean much here after all, I'm pretty sure Tyrogue isn't supposed to know Close Combat either! "If you just learned Dragon Rage, that means you-"

"HAAAAAH!" We'd taken our eyes off Embry, bad idea. The raging boar was flying at Char again, but this wasn't flame charge. His body was rotating, picking up rocks as he went.

Rollout, "Char dodge it!" That was bad news, a rock type move was VERY bad news! The little lizard managed to dive clear of the attack, letting Embry slam into the boulder behind him. Reducing it to rubble in seconds! There's no way Char would be able to take one of those! "Don't let it hit you!"

Embry came flying out of the dust cloud, rolling faster now that he'd picked up more speed. The longer the move went on, the more power its impact would carry!

"Dragon Rage!" Char opened wide to unleash the purple blast, but nothing more than a spark sputtered out. "Oh come on!"

"LOOK OUT!" I was so tense, my everything clenching as Char narrowly avoided another roll out. Pignite was still getting faster with every miss too, soon enough Char wouldn't be able to dodge!

"Just focus on dodging until he tires himself out!" I ordered worriedly, I'd really forgotten about the stakes at this point and just wanted to win, was that ba- Wait a second. "Oh no." Char's position, behind him was nothing but the edge of the plateau and a long way down. I don't think he realized it yet, neither did Embry! If Char dodges, Embry will go right over the cliff side! And if he didn't dodge, both of them might fall to their deaths! "G-Guys wait!" I took a weak step forward, a sudden fear sinking in as Embry charged him again. "Stop the fight!"

But Embry was going too fast, he couldn't stop now. There was no time! At least one of them, maybe both of them might-

I felt a sudden surge through my weakened body, like every bit of fatigue vanished in an instant and I moved without thinking. Going faster than I ever had before, I crossed the distance between me and Char. My shoulder slamming into him, knocking the reptilian pokemon off his feet and sending him tumbling across the ground.

Good, he was out of danger. But I still had to stop Embry!

"I said STOP!" I raised both hands, not sure what was going to happen. But as the Pignite made impact with my paws, an explosion of blue light erupted between us. Sending him flying backwards, and sending me- "AAAAAAGH!"

Flying right over the cliff's edge.

* * *

**Did I just end on a literal cliff hanger? YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I DID!**


	6. Accidentally Gaining Renown

**Teraunce: Why thank you XD**

**InkBoyJay: I am glad you like it! I hope I can keep quality chapters coming!**

* * *

"AAAAGH!"

I had my eyes closed shut tight, wind filling my ears as I plummeted faster and faster towards the earth below. I knew any second I'd make impact, and I'd leave this world in a messy splat. My brief life as a pokemon flashed before my eyes, and I realized I'd only been here for like two days! What kind of garbage was this!? I mean, yeah I guess I might have saved two people but COME ON! This isn't fair at all!

"Ahem," My eyes opened, and I realized I wasn't falling anymore. "I left you alone for two days and you're already dying again?" No, I was still falling. I was staring at my own body as it plummeted, but everything had slowed down.

"Arceus!" I exclaimed, looking around for the source of the voice but saw nothing. It was just me and my body, as I watched it from this out of body form. "What's going on? How are we speaking?"

"I have reached out to you, to give you some advice." He explained, "But time has not stopped so we must be brief, I can only slow things down for a moment as I am not the ruler of Time."

Oh so now he wants to be helpful. "What you don't have Dialga on speed dial?"

"Do you want my advice or would you prefer death?" His voice taking a bit of edge.

"Yeah sure fine whatever just hurry up!"

"Hmph, so rude... You need to stop thinking like a human." Oh really is that all? "You aren't thinking like a pokemon, that's why you haven't figured out any of your other moves yet."

"Okay genius tell me how I am supposed to _think like a pokemon_?!" I demanded impatiently, fearing our moment would end at any second.

"Calm down and focus, you have a move that will allow you to survive this." Arceus scoffed at me from the beyond, "You are smart, tell me what moves does a low level Riolu usually know?"

Right just calm down and think as the ground gets closer and closer, sure easy enough, "Uh, lets see... Foresight I think? Probably Quick Attack too, and End-" The realization was a slap in face, "Oh... Will that really work? How do I activate it?"

"Just focus, take a deep breath and brace yourself for impact."

"Right... Right okay," I might actually survive this, assuming it works. "Any other tips?"

"Yes, get some actual training before picking another fight, good luck Luca."

"Yeah... Thanks."

My eyes closed and when I opened them again I was back in my body, time was moving fast again and I was racing towards the earth below. I followed Arceus' instructions, and drew in a deep breath. Crossing my arms defensively in front of my body, I tightened up everything and imagined the move itself. I felt something inside of me stir, some kind of power. It felt similar to that surge from earlier... I probably should have asked Arceus about that.

Oh well, something for later. "ENDURE!"

**. . .**

I barely remember hitting the ground, but I must have blacked out on impact. Because when I started to regain my senses, I knew I wasn't laying on the ground anymore. I was sitting in some kind of cart I think, my vision still a little blurry. There were others sitting around me as well, and when I looked down I realized that my hands were bound! What hell was going-

"Hey you, you're finally awake! You're were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial Ambush, same as us-"

"AAGH!"

I shot upright as I awoke, instantly regretting it as I felt my body throbbing with pain. I could feel the bed beneath me and a few wet rags on various places all over my body. Looking around, I knew I was in a familiar living space. I was back in Iron Town, in my room at Audi's place. And my everything hurt. Yeah, falling a few hundred feet will do that I guess. Plus my injuries prior to that thanks to the Tyrogue- "Wait... Where's-" My words hitched as I noticed a presence in the room. I turned my head on instinct to see that Braixen, their adopted daughter, sitting on a chair nearby and staring into a book. _"Where the hell did that sense come from?" _I wondered, "Uh... Hey?" Did she really completely ignore my scream?

She looked up from the pages, quirking an eyebrow. "Oh, you're finally awake, cool." Hopping off her seat, she started heading for the door.

"Hey wait!" I stopped her, questions whirling around in my head. "Where's Char? What happened? How long was I out?"

Del, that was her name I think, looked back at me briefly. Before rolling her eyes, "In the other room, he and those fighting types dragged your dumb ass back here, and about four hours."

Huh, Embry and the others came back too? "Okay... Wait, dumb ass?" I repeated, confused by my new title.

"Yeah, almost got yourself killed didn't you?" She scoffed.

Oh right, she has an attitude, how could I forget? "Sorry, I was under the impression I fell stopping two others from falling..." I noted, glaring back at her. "Or did they leave that part out?"

"Nope."

"So are all forms of heroics around here just frowned upon?" I questioned, "Or did I ruin somebodies bet?"

She tensed up a bit, the grip on her book tightening. "Heroics are only good for getting you killed." Before she made her way out.

Oooh right, her Dad was... Huh, I really need to stop forgetting these details. This stuff all happened like yesterday, I need to pay better atten-

Before I could even finish the thought, Audi stepped through the door frame with a plate full of berries and other herbs. "Luca! Del told me you were awake!" She exclaimed, rushing to my bedside and setting the platter on a nearby table. "Oh thank goodness, we were all so worried when Char brought you back!"

I winced as she put a hand on my shoulder, "Tsst! E-Easy, still a little sore..." A lot, I was a lot sore. And I don't care if that's bad grammar. "Yeah, Del said he came back with those fighting types, but I don't really know what happened after I fell so... Can you fill me in?"

Audi's smile softened, "I think I'll let Char handle that, but first lets finish getting you patched up." She held up her glowing hands, and began to use Heal Pulse on me. The soft pink lights sinking into me, I could feel the soreness going away. "I've been using it periodically to heal you, but your injuries were severe so its taken a few doses."

I winced as I felt my body being repaired. The sensation was strange at first but started feeling more relaxing as the pain ebbed away. "Thanks... Where is Char now?"

"Outside, do you want to see him now?"

"Yes please."

Audi helped me out of bed, and we made our way to the front door. I could already hear others talking outside, but strangely enough I didn't recognize either of the voices. One was very deep and spoke in a more adult, formal tone. While the other had a sharper edge to it, despite the friendly words being exchanged.

"I'm sure you can speak with him once he's rested sir," The latter voice assured, and as I passed through the doorway outside I realized why I didn't recognize it. "But for now he- Oh hey!" I nearly flinched as the Charmeleon standing there turned a toothy grin on me. "You're awake! Awesome, I was getting worried about you Luca."

"Char? Is that you?" I asked, the slightly discolored skin of his pretty much confirmed that. "You evolved?" Across from Char stood a tall Slowking, adorned with that big crown shell thing and looking down at me with a critical eye. "And uh... Who is this?"

"Oh! Right," Char chuckled nervously, "Yeah I did evolve, right after you fell... And this is-"

"Ahem," The Slowking coughed to interrupt him, "I am capable of introducing myself, thank you... My name is Sloke, and I am the Mayor of Iron Town." He introduced, "I am happy to see you are alive and well, after hearing of your arrival and what you did for your fellow Mon, I wished to speak with you both."

Fellow Mon huh? Funny, but I do remember the Dojo masters mentioning this guy. "Right yeah the uh... Well, I just sorta moved," I shrugged, a little unnerved by the way he analyzed me. "Didn't have much time to think about it."

"All the more impressive," He offered with a nod, "That you can make such a critical decision with ease... I have spoken with your friend here," He motioned to Char, "About your desire to find work here in Iron Town and a place of your own, how would you feel about working for me?"

I blinked in surprise, "What? Really?" My eyes darted to Char, who simply shrugged in response. "Uh... I guess, why us? As far as I can tell we haven't done anything too impressive."

To which Sloke chuckled in response, "You're quite humble, but in just two days you've assured the arrival of important medicine, and convinced three pokemon to join our town as well!"

Oh? "You mean Embry and the other two?" I questioned, "They decided to stay?"

Char nodded with a smile, "After what you did, they promised to stay for the Winter at least, and Embry wants to see more of that crazy power you were hiding!"

"O-Oh right, yeah... That." The surge of energy I felt, that helped me reach them and repel Embry. Where did that come from anyways? "Well uh... What would working for you entail, sir?"

"It will be quite simple really, I will assign you jobs from the townsfolk and you will complete them." He explained, forming a polite smile of his own. "Of course, some work will be a bit more complicated, but we'll get to those details after I've shown you your new home, a house here in Iron Town."

"We're getting a house!?" Char exclaimed, "Whoa that's awesome!"

Yeah, actually that is a pretty sweet deal. "I mean, yeah that sounds great." I nodded, before looking back at Audi, "I guess we won't be sleeping here anymore."

But she waved me off with a chuckle, "That is fine, you have earned this, and if you ever need help don't be afraid to come back."

Sloke released a deep chuckle of his own, "Excellent! If you would please follow me, I'll show you to your new home!"

Didn't really sound like we had much of a choice I guess, "Right, of course... Lets go." I shrugged, waving off Audi as we began making our way further into town.

"This is so exciting," Char added as we went, the bridge that crossed over into the abandoned portion of town coming into view ahead of us. "I can't wait to see our new home!"

"I am glad you are both eager," Sloke chuckled in amusement, "Be warned though, its a bit of a fixer upper."

Great, "Great!" Char exclaimed eagerly, "That means we can change it up any way we want!"

"You are one heck of an optimist, Char." I pointed out with a chuckle as we began crossing over the bridge.

As we began passing into the abandoned section of town, I noticed a statue up one of the streets. It took me a moment to actually make out what, or who it was.

Sloke must have noticed my staring, because he spoke up just as I figured it out. "Ah, I see you've spotted Fen's Memorial." He said, releasing a small sigh. "Terrible tragedy, a great Mon who sacrificed himself for others." Yep, no doubt about it. The statue was a Delphox, had to be Del's father, "I had only been mayor for a short time when the event happened, I thought putting up a statue would help after that mess but... Some have taken exception to it."

Yeah, I have a strange feeling that by _some,_ he means Del. "That's too bad..." Hard to imagine this could have been me if I didn't survive that fall... Okay, I doubt I'd have gotten a statue but I'd at least have been a fond memory right? Maybe?

"Anyways... Here we are." I turned back to Sloke as he came to a stop outside another dome shaped home. "I picked this one out myself, not too far from the office and a room for both of you!"

From the outside it looked almost the same as Audi's house, "Alright, cool." I nodded, as we approached the door.

"I have also taken the liberty of having the pantry stocked for you, free of charge." Sloke chuckled, "There is a large basement as well, use the space for whatever you wish!"

"Thanks, for both the home and the food." Char replied with a grin, "What is our first job going to be?"

Good question, "For now? Recuperate," He said simply, "You've had a rough day, and I'd prefer if you were at 100% when you go to work." That makes sense, I wasn't exactly in pain but I couldn't imagine I was ready for any more physical strain today. "And also... There is one more matter."

Oh? "And what is that?" I asked curiously.

Sloke cleared his throat briefly, "You see, I have the authority to grant you Beginner Rescue Team status," He explained, "This would allow you to collect rewards for bounties that might come through here, and other missions from outside that could lead to more Pokemon joining Iron Town."

Char's eyes were already lit up, "You mean we're gonna be an Exploration Team!?"

"Well, I've got to do some paperwork first, but yes." Sloke seemed amused by his excitement. "Have to send for your badge at Wigglytuff's Guild over in Treasure town, and I'll need both your names as well as what you want your team to be called."

Okay, now this was starting to sound very "video gamey". Like, I half expected a text box to appear asking me what to name our team. "Uh... Okay," I looked to Char, "What do you think? You seem more excited than me so what do you think we should call our team?"

"You want me to decide?" He asked, shock and awe filling his voice.

I shrugged, "Sure, I don't really care what its called so..."

The Charmeleon brought one clawed hand to his chin, scratching it as he thought. "Alright! I've got it! We'll be Team CharLuca!"

I physically cringed, "Alright, maybe... Not that name." You can't just mash two names together, this isn't a Dragon Ball Z fusion we're talking about here.

"But you just said-"

"Literally ANY other name, and I won't complain."

"Alright alright," Char chuckled it off, "How about Team Blue Fire?"

I quirked an eyebrow at that, "Blue Fire?"

"Yeah, because you're Blue and I spit Fire." Char shrugged.

You know what? "I can work with that." I nodded, smiling lightly.

"Excellent," Sloke spread his arms wide. "Well go on and get settled in, I'll get on your paperwork, and will have a job for you by tomorrow!" Before he began walking off, "And Welcome to Iron Town, officially!"

"Haha, right, thanks." I waved him off as he went, before looking to Char. "Alright, wanna head insi-" I stopped as I realized his smile had almost completely gone. "What's up?"

He nervously scratched the back of his head, "Before we get to the tour, I wanted to talk to you about some stuff."

Well this was one hell of a tone shift. "Such as?"

"I guess... I don't know, I don't usually think too much about this kinda stuff but... Its hard to read you." He admitted, shrugging. "I mean, maybe its just because it seems like we're gonna be working together a lot, but I've been trying to understand you better and its hard."

Huh, maybe he isn't as gullible as I thought. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... You act polite and nice, and seem like you're trying to do the right thing..." He explained, starting to pace a little. "But then you do things like lie, like how you lied to me about where you came from, and you lied to Embry and the others to try and get them to come to Iron Town... You also acted like you were super weak, and then you released that crazy power and almost died saving both Embry and I so..." He stopped, shrugging again, "I guess I just don't know what to think of you."

"Well..." I wasn't really sure what to say, "To be fair, even I didn't know about that crazy power so..." Shifting nervously, scratching the back of my head. "I guess sometimes I say and do things without thinking, and my gut gets me into trouble... I'm kinda just playing it by ear at the moment, and things are sorta working out so," I shrugged back at him, "But, nobody is dying so... I can't be doing that bad right?"

Char quirked an eyebrow back at me, before nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right, sorry if it sounds like I was judging you harshly... Come on, lets go check out our rooms."

"Don't worry about it, and I'm right behind you."

I needed to be more careful. This wasn't just some video game I was in, my actions were being watched and remembered. Oh wait, this is EXACTLY like a video game, just with real consequences. I really should have played more of those Telltale Games, it's not my fault they never finished The Wolf Among Us... I'm getting off topic. The point, is that I can't keep assuming Char is just a gullible dork that likes playing good guy.

What happened today showed me two things. One, is that I seriously need some training. I don't know where that power came from, but if I could learn to use it I'd be a real powerhouse. And the other, is that Char is one hell of a fighter, and I should start taking him more seriously...

Hopefully tomorrow would be easier than today, with our first job for Mayor Sloke.


End file.
